Traveling is so much fun. I love the experience of a different place, a different country. I love meeting new people and seeing how they do things and how they enjoy life. But, the part of traveling that I fear the most is deciding where, when, and all the details. Ok, the where isn’t that difficult. It’s the when and the elements.
I want the perfect experience and perfect weather. I like the cheapest flight, best values. I want the best pricing on accommodations. And this is where I reach my first set of rapids – using the white water rafting analogy. Then it’s on to what will the weather be like while we are there? Will, it be too hot, cold, wet, dark, etc.? These are my second set of rapids.
And now I’m at the age where I want to experience the different things like going to Ottery of Saint Mary for their 500+ year tradition of Guy Fawkes day. I want to experience events that others don’t get to experience.
Like our last trip to England and Scotland, we have been there many times, and it was easy to navigate the “rapids” because we have been down the river many times. But, now we are starting to plan for our 30th anniversary and thinking about Italy. Katy and I have seen much of this wonderful world, yet neither has been to Italy. So we have a new “river” to navigate and rapids that we have never experienced. And you through on a language issue on top of everything else.
I don’t think there is any magic to figuring out the details. The trick in traveling, at least for me, is to be 100% present in what you are doing. In other words, don’t worry about what you are missing. You will never be able to do everything or see everything on a trip. That is why you go back. But the key to a great trip is being present in what you are doing at every moment. Take it all in and make what you see and experience the best.
So for the 2022 trip to Italy, we would like to go in April or early May. Though our anniversary is March 28th, several things are going on. Plus, the factors are that the weather should be better in April and May than in March. Though summer is the best weather there, so are the crowds—another factor to consider. We have checked airfare, and it’s not bad for the period that we are planning.
So what to see is going to be our biggest hurdle. We love history, and Italy has plenty of history. We love small villages, coasts, and mountains – Italy has all those. We love food and wine. So, where do we start? I’m going to open up a shared file that we can start making a list and what we want to do, and then we can focus and prioritize and then go from there. Happy to hear other ideas and techniques.
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